What is Jainism?

Have you ever been walking on the sidewalk and done a giant hop to avoid stepping on a snail? Most of us try not to squish bugs, but what if you tried to live your entire life without ever harming a single living creature?! In this mind-blowing episode, Mira and Finn travel to ancient India to explore Jainism and its most important idea: Ahimsa, which means absolute non-violence! Discover how the most devoted Jain monks and nuns take peace to an incredible level. You will be amazed to learn why they carry soft brooms to gently sweep the dirt path ahead of them, wear soft cloth masks to avoid breathing in tiny invisible flies, and carefully strain their drinking water! We even uncover why eating a root vegetable like a carrot or potato is strictly off-limits! From the teachings of the great figure Mahavira to a real hospital in India built entirely for sick birds, learn how far some people will go to show kindness to every living soul. How far would you go to protect a tiny bug? Tune in and find out!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Philosophy Is Not Boring by Codopoly.com. I'm Mira! And I'm Finn! Finn? Have you ever been walking on the sidewalk on a really sunny day and suddenly stopped because there was an ant or a worm right in your way?

unknown 0:17

Ha ha!

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Oh, all the time! I get so worried I'm going to step on a snail after it rains. I do this weird giant hop over them so I don't crush their shells.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

I have definitely seen you do that giant jump. Most of us try not to squish things when we see them, but today we are talking about exactly that feeling and taking it further than you could possibly imagine.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Wait, how much further? Are we talking about jumping over frogs?

SPEAKER_00 0:47

What if you try to live your entire life without ever harming a single living creature? Not a snail, not an ant, not even a tiny invisible bug you can't even see.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Is that even possible? I mean, bugs are everywhere. We step on the grass all the time without looking.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

That is the exact big question today. We are exploring a beautiful ancient idea from India called Ahimsa. And we are going to meet the people who try to do the most peaceful, gentle walking in the whole world. So, to understand this, we have to travel to India, to an ancient religion called Jainism. Jainism? I don't think I know much about that one. Is it like Buddhism? It shares some ideas, but it has its own amazing traditions. It's one of the oldest religions in the world, and right at the heart of Jainism is a word you definitely need to know: ahimsa. Ahimsa. What does that actually mean? It usually translates to non-violence or not causing harm to anything. Like no hitting or fighting.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

I definitely agree with that rule. The playground would be a lot better if everyone did that.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

For sure. But ahimsa in Jainism goes way beyond just not fighting with other people. Many Jains believe that every single living thing has a soul, just like humans do. Wait. Everything? Like animals? Yes. Humans, animals, insects, even plants and microscopic bugs. They believe that life energy is everywhere. And if every living thing has a soul, then every living thing deserves to be safe and respected.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Oh wow! So my dog has a soul, the birds have souls, and the tiny ants on the sidewalk.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Exactly! Around two and a half thousand years ago, a great teacher named Mahavira taught his followers that the absolute greatest thing a person could do was practice ahimsa totally in everything they do.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

But Mira, if everything has a soul and you can't hurt anything, how do you even walk around? I would be so scared to even take a single step. I'd just sit on the couch forever.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Sitting on the couch forever wouldn't really work. Mahavira thought a lot about the problem of walking. And the most devoted Jain monks and nuns have some truly mind-blowing ways to solve it. Picture this, Finn. You are a Jain monk or nun. You need to walk down a dirt road to get to the next village, but you know there might be tiny insects in the dust that you can't see.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

I would probably want to wear huge padded boots, or maybe just slide my feet really, really slowly.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Well, they do something even gentler. They often carry a special, very soft broom made of yarn or threads, called a rajaharan. As they walk, they gently sweep the ground right in front of their feet.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Wait, seriously? They sweep the dirt path before every single step?

SPEAKER_00 4:04

Yes, not to clean the dirt away, but to softly brush any ants, beetles, or tiny bugs out of the way, so they don't get squished under their feet.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

That is actually really beautiful. They care that much about a tiny bug just trying to cross the road.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

It is beautiful, and they don't stop there. Finn, have you ever been riding your bike and accidentally swallowed a gnat?

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Ugh yes, last summer. It was gross, but I also felt really bad for the gnat. It was just flying around and then boom.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Right. Well, to make sure that never happens, some Jane monks and nuns wear a soft cloth mask over their mouths. It's called a muhapati.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Oh, so it literally stops tiny flies from flying into their mouths when they breathe or talk. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

And they believe it also stops the warm air of their breath from harming tiny, microscopic living things floating in the air.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

They even worry about the invisible things. That's incredible. But wait, what about drinking? There's tiny stuff in water too, especially in rivers.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

They carefully strain their water through a thick cloth before drinking it. That way, any tiny creatures are caught in the cloth and can be safely returned to the river or well.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

I am exhausted just thinking about this. They must have to pay attention to every single little thing they do all day long.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

That is exactly the point. Ahimsa makes you pay deep, focused attention to the whole world around you instead of just rushing through it. Okay, but here's where the ideas get really mind-bending. Let's talk about food.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Well, if they can't hurt animals or bugs, they must be vegetarians, right? Definitely no meat. Correct.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Most jains follow a very strict vegetarian diet, but it goes further than that. They will not eat root vegetables.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

Wait, no carrots, no potatoes, no onions? Why not?

SPEAKER_00 6:12

Well, think about it like a puzzle. If they believe plants have souls too, what is the difference between picking an apple and picking a carrot?

SPEAKER_01 6:22

Hmm. If you pick an apple from a tree, the tree keeps growing. It's fine. It might even grow more apples next year. Yes, but what happens when you harvest a carrot? Oh, you have to pull the whole thing out of the ground.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

You end its life entirely. Exactly. And when you pull a big root out of the dirt, you disturb the soil and might accidentally hurt all the worms and microscopic bugs living right around it. So, to avoid all that harm, many jains choose to just eat foods that grow above ground.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Wow, I literally never thought about a potato like that. But Mira, is it actually possible to harm nothing at all? What if you step on a bug by accident and you didn't even see it? Or what if you breathe in a germ?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

That is a really brave and honest question. And Mahavira, the great teacher, knew this. It is basically impossible for a human to live without causing some harm at all, just by existing in the world.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

That makes me a little sad. If you can't be perfect at it, does that mean you failed?

SPEAKER_00 7:29

It doesn't have to be sad. Jainism teaches that what matters most is your intention. You try your absolute best, you sweep the path. And when you do cause harm by accident, there's a special practice where you apologize and ask for forgiveness from all living things.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Oh, I like that. So it's not about being magically perfect and floating above the dirt. It's about caring enough to try really, really hard. Exactly!

SPEAKER_00 7:57

And that brings us to why this amazing idea matters for you and me right now in our own lives.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Because I should start sweeping the kitchen floor before I walk to the fridge? I think my parents would actually be thrilled.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

I'm sure they would. But really, it's about asking yourself a big question. How far would you go to avoid causing harm? What does your ahimsa look like?

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Yeah, like when I see a spider in my room, my first thought is usually just to squish it fast, because it scares me.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Right, but if you stop and think about ahimsa, you might grab a plastic cup and a piece of paper, gently trap the spider, and carry it outside to the bushes instead.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

It kind of makes you realise that even tiny, creepy lives are still lives. They're just doing their own spider things, not trying to bother us on purpose.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Yes, and this idea of ahimsa didn't just stay with monks in ancient India. It inspired giant, world-changing movements. The famous leader, Mahatma Gandhi, used the idea of ahimsa to lead peaceful protests that changed a whole nation.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Oh wow! So a gentle idea that started with not squishing bugs actually changed history?

SPEAKER_00 9:15

It really did. And Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by those same ideas of non-violence during the civil rights movement. Speaking of amazing things, do you want a fun fact about how Jains practice this today? Yes, please. Did you know there is a famous Jane hospital in the city of Delhi that is entirely for birds?

SPEAKER_01 9:37

A bird hospital?

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Yep, the charity birds hospital has treated tens of thousands of sick and injured birds. Everything from pigeons to parrots, all completely for free, because they believe in ahimsa. Alright, Finn, time for the quiz. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Okay, I'm ready. I hope I remember the tricky words. First question.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

What is the ancient word used in Jainism that means non-violence or not causing harm? Next one. Who is the great teacher from around two and a half thousand years ago who taught his followers to practice ahimsa totally? Question 3. What do some Jain monks and nuns gently sweep the ground with as they walk? Here's number four. Why do some Jains wear a soft cloth mask called a muhapati over their mouths? Last question. Why do many Jains choose not to eat root vegetables like carrots and potatoes? Great job! Let's see how you did. The first answer is the ancient word for non-violence is ahimsa. For question two, the great teacher was named Mahavira. The answer for question three is they sweep the ground with a soft broom to gently move bugs safely out of the way. For question four, they wear masks so they don't accidentally breathe in tiny insects or harm invisible life in the air. And the final answer is they don't eat root vegetables because pulling them up kills the whole plant and disturbs the bugs in the soil.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

You know, I don't think I could ever be perfectly harmless. But I'm definitely going to think differently the next time I eat a potato or see an ant on the sidewalk. Me too, Finn.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

It makes the world feel very precious when you try to treat everything around you so carefully.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Yeah, and I'm definitely going to keep saving the snails after it rains, even if I have to do my giant hop.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

I love that. Hey, if you're listening and you love thinking about big ideas with us, we'd love it if you could leave us a five-star review.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Yeah, it really helps other kids find the show. Just scroll down in your podcast app and tap the five stars.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Oh, and don't forget to check out our site, kidopoly.com. We've got tons of fun learning games and activities there to keep exploring.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

And if you want to shout out on the show, or just want to tell us about a bug you saved, send us an email at hello at kidopoly.com.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

Thanks for wandering with us today. See you next time on Philosophy is not boring. Bye everyone.